Saving Seafood

NEFMC Seeks Contractor to Develop and Conduct EBFM Public Information Workshops

October 1, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is looking for an independent contractor to develop and conduct a series of six public information workshops about Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM).  The deadline for submitting letters of interest and supporting materials is November 1, 2021.

The Council has been working on an EBFM conceptual approach for several years.  It developed an example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) that shows how an EBFM approach might be carried out on Georges Bank.

The Council is now ready to fully engage the public in its EBFM work.  It will begin this process by conducting public information workshops, utilizing outreach materials that clearly explain EBFM both in general terms in the eFEP and as used in the worked example for 10 fish stocks on Georges Bank.  The Council will be communicating with fishermen, conservation groups, the research community, and many other stakeholders through the workshops as it continues to advance EBFM.

This is a short-term, temporary contractor role, commencing on or about December 13, 2021 and ending in April 2022.  The contractor will:

•Work at the direction of Council staff to develop public workshop agendas, plan workshop logistics, and coordinate with invited experts in EBFM;

•Utilize and leverage the communications materials that have been developed by the Council; and

•Provide on-site support and facilitate each of the six public workshops.

Note:  The scheduling and execution of in-person workshops will be contingent on the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 level of community transmission assessment.  This may cause delays in the execution of this work.

The workshop objectives are to: (1) engage with and educate fishery stakeholders about the concepts of Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management; and (2) promote stakeholder participation in the further development of EBFM.

Additional information about the statement of work, expected responsibilities and deliverables, desired experience and demonstrated skills, and application submission details can be found in the request for proposals.

Questions concerning technical aspects of this proposal should be directed to Andrew Applegate at aapplegate@nefmc.org.  Questions concerning the contracting process or Department of Commerce – NOAA grant regulations should be directed to Margaret Bernier at mbernier@nefmc.org.

Read the full release from the New England Fishery Management Council

 

New England Council Seeks Contractor to Prepare EBFM Public Outreach Materials

January 17, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to prepare visually rich and understandable materials for distribution and presentation during public information workshops about Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM).  Letters of interest and supporting materials must be received by February 14, 2020.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:  In addition to strong writing, presentation, and communication skills, applicants should have a general understanding of fisheries and fishery management in New England, including on Georges Bank, and in the Mid-Atlantic.  Applicants also should: (1) be familiar with the use of scientific information in the fishery management process and the concept of EBFM; and (2) have experience interacting with fishery managers, scientists, and stakeholders.
 
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING:  The Council has been working on an EBFM conceptual approach for several years, and it developed an example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) that shows how EBFM might be carried out on Georges Bank.  The Council is now ready to take the next step and more fully engage the public in its work.  It intends to begin this process by conducting public information workshops and utilizing outreach materials that clearly explain EBFM on multiple levels.  The Council will be communicating with fishermen, conservation groups, the research community, and many other stakeholders through the workshops as it continues to advance EBFM. 
 
WHAT’S INVOLVED:  To assist the Council with this undertaking, the contractor will:
  • Research and prepare outreach materials and then work with Council staff to present the related products to the EBFM Plan Development Team (PDT), the EBFM Committee, and the Council.  The contractor is not expected to present the materials at future workshops or assist with the final design of materials published on paper and/or online;
  • Develop products that are suitable for a variety of stakeholders who have varying ranges of knowledge about EBFM and fishery management; and
  • Consider multiple formats for visually rich materials, which may include documents, pamphlets, videos, PowerPoint presentations, news releases, and other options.
The contractor will meet with the PDT and Committee (independently or jointly) for one or two meetings to understand the EBFM framework in the eFEP, ask questions, and receive feedback and guidance.  The contractor also will discuss progress on a weekly basis with Council staff.
 
TIMELINE:  The contractor’s role is a short-term, temporary position that will begin on or about February 15, 2020 and end when the Council approves outreach materials, which is expected to happen during the Council’s June 23-25, 2020 meeting in Freeport, ME.  Therefore, final draft materials are due by June 10, 2020.  Following the June Council meeting, the contractor may need to make necessary changes and provide final revised materials by July 25, 2020.
 
APPLICATION DETAILS:  Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or curriculum vitae, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than February 14, 2020.
  • A complete list of desired experience and demonstrated skills can be found in the solicitation announcement, along with application mailing/email addresses and other information.
  • NOTE:  Candidates employed by advocacy organizations or by organizations that are parties in fishery lawsuits will not be considered.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:  Interested candidates may want to review:
  • The Council’s Draft Example Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Georges Bank, which is available at eFEP;
QUESTIONS:  For more information, contact: (1) New England Fishery Management Council Senior Fishery Analyst Andrew Applegate at (978) 465-0492 ext. 114, aapplegate@nefmc.org for technical questions; and (2) Administrative Officer Margaret Bernier, (978) 465-0492 ext. 104,mbernier@nefmc.org regarding contract questions.

NEFMC Rescheduling Notice: EBFM Management Strategy Review

January 22, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Due to the partial federal government shutdown, the 2018 Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management Strategy Review, which was intended to take place January 22-25, 2018, will be rescheduled.

This review is being hosted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, which is subject to federal government shutdown restrictions.  Due to the uncertainty surrounding the length of the shutdown, travel for international peer review panel members has been cancelled.  Once the federal government is fully operational again, the science center will reschedule the review panel meeting and provide additional information.

The New England Fishery Management Council is aware that many of its stakeholders are interested in this event and were planning to attend in person or listen-in via the webinar broadcast.  For this reason, we are issuing this notice to inform you of these new developments and will post any additional updates on our own website at 2018 EBFM Strategy Review.

Learn more about the NEFMC’s meeting on EBFM here.